Sing Christmas Carols and see Newlyn Christmas lights switched on this Friday

Whatever the weather, catch a sleigh ride down Paul Hill to Newlyn this Friday at 7pm for an evening of good cheer with mulled wine and singing to accompany switching on the Christmas lights. All hands will assemble in front of the harbour offices where Newlyn Male Voice choir and a silver band will render an evening of Christmas Carols - and if the heaven's open there is always the fishmarket to shelter inside.

If all goes well the harbour will be ablaze with lights courtesy of the firework display at 7.30pm and then the big swith on - don't miss it!

On Saturday, if you want to join in the fun a mile down the road you can sing along with the world-famous Mousehole Male Voice Choir and see the harbour lights switched on at the same time - a real night treat for all the family. If you've planned ahead you might have booked a meal at No2 Fore Street restaurant - enjoy!

Sharks are now off the menu - official!

The last porbeagle shark to come ashore from the Charisma this year as the quota runs out....
at 150kg, the biggest shark of the trip, gets a helping hand from Edwin from Samways Fish before it makes the long journey to Holland. The year's quota for Porbeagle is 13 tons - all of which has now gone. It is likely that next year there will be a nil quota - more lunacy built into our so called 'conservation' driven quota systema as the quota is in fact a by-catch quota and designed to allow for just that eventuality - whatever the quota, it will, in itelf, not prevent boats catching these big sharks - that's why there's a by-catch quota in the first place! Oh well.

Its a picky sort of day

Must be the smallest set of mid-water doors seen in the port - it takes a cat to catch a mackerel?......
Mr Morley heads back to hos pontoon berth......
as Grimmy makes waves of a different kins headed for Penzance Dock and a small tugging job as the dry-dock's latest job needs to come out through the Ross Bridge.....
much leaning on the throttle to get the Twilight to come round before she can get through the gaps.....
careful handling of the mornings catch from Barry on the Boy Brax...
another punt heads back to tier as the Twilight makes her bid for freedom.....
run deep according to the old proverb........
here's what the nets were shot for, a fine fat mackerel.....
under the watchful eye of the local herring gull population - the herring are being watched....
as they are deftly picked out of the fine meshed net.....
Cap'n Hooper steers his command back home......
and another herring joins the box, hopefully they will make more then 40p a kilo on tomorrow's market - though all hands are not holding their breath.....
today sees the tree in place outside the Mission.....
while the good ship Inspiration bobs in her berth......
biggest boat currently working from the port makes her way in through the gaps......
wrapped for the winter, the Ripple won't see much action till the Spring next year.
Plugger makes some fine adjustments to the footrope of the Shiralee's trawl.

Saturday sees smoke and settled seas so it's early sailings

Ben My Chree is the first of the netters to get away after the last few days blow.....
while Don must be looking to get his injectors done on the William......
some late spring cleaning is in order on the fish market screens.....
and another chance at taking a few bass from around the stones for the ounts.......
down come the derricks as the George Johannes powers her way past the Mount.....
while the St Georges makes a more stately exit towards the gaps......
top line-caught pollack boat, the Sea Spray heads back to the gaps.....
as another punt heads off past the light.....
followed by the St Georges heading into a dazzling morning sun.....
last chance to stretch the legs ashore before the Harvest Venture sails.....
skippr Nudd takes the Intuition out for the day......
overnight this year's Christmas trees have been dropped off outside the Mission.....
and in the harbour.

Spirit of Mystery & Vendee updates

It was in the 1996 Vendee singlehanded fround the world race that Pete Goss turned back in atrocious weather to the rescue of fellow competitor Raphael Dinelli, thereby costing him any chance of race victory. Pete and the boys have just been passed close to by several competitors in the current Vendee Challenge. The chart above has the current approximate postition of the Spirit of Mystery marked in red, with the Vendee competitors strung out ahead. One of these has juust completed a 390 mile run in 24 hours, with some of the boats touching 35 knots plus.

Jeremy Thomspon has been busy again

Local Newlyn artists Jeremy Thompson has recently completed this painting, very much in traditional style entitled, "Fishing off the trees" - an area to the west of Mousehole marked by a small planted wood.

Black on orange

A sure sign there's more than a fresh breeze out there, a lonely Breton trawler, the Ar Zantez is taking shelter - not so long ago a 'tempete' would herald a mini Breton invasion and over twenty trawlers would seek shelter in the port - an opportunity to make friends and share one or two recipes for those whom were so inclined....
Dark skies and even darker boxes, evidence that the cuttles are still in abundance. There's plenty of research to read up on over these amazing creatures - including how to catch them - only those who have seen them when still alive at sea can fully appreciate this! Apart from being used for drawing ink and giving its name to 'sepia' photographs cuttles are used extensivley in cooking and for food colouring today - there's plenty of recipes to choose from with Siciliy probably home to the most well known - if you haven't already, try some - more tender and tasty than squid!.....
today, Ocean Fish are in the black and on the floor.....
with so many cuttles its time to resort to bulk handling, the 500kg insulated tubs now come into their own as Ian and Ryan load them up - with the addition of a layer of plastic to (hopefully) keep off the ink.....
overlooking dozens of boxes of cuttles from the Cornishman, another guided tour is underway around the harbour.....

the market boys will have their work cut out hosing this lot down later today.